Foo Fighters fans can rest easy knowing that the spirit of the late legendary drummer Taylor Hawkins loomed large at the 64th Grammy Awards.
Billie Eilish kicked off the tribute when she performed the song “Happier Than Ever” in a black Taylor Hawkins t-shirt. Later, the show’s host Trevor Noah paid tribute to Hawkins during the In Memoriam segment.
“This was the moment in the show when I was supposed to be introducing the Foo Fighters. We would have been celebrating with them as they won three Grammy Awards earlier today. But they are not here due to the tragic passing of their legendary drummer, Taylor Hawkins. Our thoughts go out to Taylor’s family, his friends, the Foo Fighter family, and all of their fans around the globe.”
The official Grammys website also remembered Hawkins and other celebrated music industry professionals who passed away in 2022.
Hawkins rose to fame on the road with progressive rocker Sass Jordan and during a two-year tour for Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. He became a member of the core lineup of the Foo Fighters in 1999, catapulting him to international stardom. The band recorded eight studio albums and won 15 Grammy Awards.
Hawkins was a prolific artist. In addition to his work with Foo Fighters, he played in two side projects, Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders and The Birds of Satan. The former released their eponymous debut album in 2006, followed by Red Light Fever (2010), and Get the Money (2019). He released an album with the latter in 2014. He also formed a group with Jane’s Addiction alumni Dave Navarro and Chris Chaney called NHC in 2021. Hawkins also recorded songs with Brian May, Ozzy Osbourne, and Slash.
Hawkins passed away from a fatal drug overdose on March 25, 2022, at a hotel in Bogotá, Colombia. He was a beloved figure in the music industry, and celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Mick Jagger, and Axl Rose paid homage to him on social media. Chrissie Hynde, Mark Ronson, and David Chappelle performed at The Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert in London in 2022.